Friends, Forwarding a letter that we send from our network NPRD to Civil Aviation Minister after harassment of a lady passenger at the airport.
Shampa ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: National Platform For The Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) < [email protected]> Date: Fri, Jul 12, 2013 at 5:31 PM Subject: Letter to Civil Aviation Minister-- Airport Security -- Handling Disabled Passengers To: July 12, 2013 * * *Shri Ajit Singh* *The Minister for Civil Aviation* *Government of India* Dear Sir, Once again a case of insensitivity in handling persons with disabilities at Indian airports has come to light. In the latest instance, a passenger, Suranjana Ghosh Aikara, a person with disability, using a prosthetic leg was handled with utmost insensitivity and inappropriateness by the security personnel at the Mumbai Airport on July 5, 2013. Her harrowing experience has left her humiliated and traumatised. Suranjana’s own narration of the events is attached herewith as an annexure. As is revealed by her narration, Ms. Suranjana after entering the curtained enclosure of the women’s security check area was asked by the security personnel to remove her artificial leg and put it on the X-ray scanner. She tried to reason, asked the security personnel to physically frisk the leg and carry out an Explosives Trace Detector Test (ETD). It is only after a long and heated argument in the course of which two more senior officials joined in that the security personnel agreed to a physical frisking of her artificial leg and the ETD test. The ignominy that Ms. Suranjana was subjected to is not an isolated case. There have been several instances in the past where disabled persons with artificial legs, wheel chair users etc. have had to undergo indignity and trauma merely because of lack of awareness, training and sensitivity of the personnel and agencies responsible for security at airports. While there is no dispute that increasing security threats pose a challenge to security personnel in charge of airport security, procedures have to be so devised that checks on persons with disabilities are done in a manner which is both dignified and do not in any manner seem to be intrusive of their privacy. In the light of such recurring incidents, we would urge upon you to ensure that a system is put in place where prosthesis users, wheelchair users, those using braces and such other disabled persons can undergo a physical search (without stripping and removing the artificial limb or unseating them from the wheelchairs) followed by an ETD test. You will appreciate that while the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is framing new guidelines for handling passengers with disability, it is also incumbent that they lay down protocols to be followed by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security that would respect the right of PWDs to be treated with dignity. It is also essential that the security personnel need to be sensitized as to the differing needs of PWDs. Disabled people’s organisations and persons with disabilities may be involved in this process. We would urge upon you to immediately intervene in the matter so that persons with disabilities are not subjected to such indignity and humiliation in the future at airports within the country. With regards Yours sincerely *(Muralidharan)* *Assistant Convener* * * * * *Encl: *Suranjana Ghosh Aikara’s FB post CC: Director General Civil Aviation, New Delhi CC: Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, New Delhi *Suranjana Ghosh Aikara’s Narration From Her Facebook Post* In the early morning of Friday July 5th 2013, my mother and I were looking forward to boarding Jet Airways Flight No. 9W 333 from Mumbai to Delhi. We were headed to Agra to make one of my mother’s long awaited desires come true; that of visiting the Taj Mahal. But an incident at the security check almost prevented us from boarding our flight. I was forced to spend a harrowing half an hour convincing and arguing with the security staff that I should not be subjected to an intrusive security screening, which would require me to strip. Why strip? Because I am an above knee amputee and the metal detectors would be set off by the metal components of my artificial leg. As I got into the curtained enclosure of the women’s security check area, I asked the lady security officer to give me a hand to help me climb on the podium. I explained to her that the metal detector would be set off by my left leg, which is artificial. I also handed her my documentation (Original disability certificate with photo ID notarised by a govt. doctor, letters from Otto Bock - my imported prosthesis manufacturers & my press ID card, since I work in broadcast media).* * * * The lady ignored my documentation and promptly asked me to remove my artificial leg and put it in the x-ray scanner. I reasoned with her that she could physically frisk the leg and carry out an ETD (Explosives Trace Detector) scanner test. She refused saying I will have to remove the leg and called a senior lady officer who too said the norm is to remove the limb and put it into the scanner. This lady also ignored my certificates & ID and was obviously out of her depth at encountering a person with disability, who not only looks normal but is also vociferously protesting against having to strip and have her dignity compromised in a public place.* * * * My mother who had cleared the security check, stood flummoxed watching the drama unfold as I was asked to step out of the enclosure while a 3rd officer (ostensibly more senior) was summoned. With as much composure as my panicked state would allow, I showed him my certificates with the graphic photo ID that leaves you in no doubt that if I were to remove the leg, my modesty would be immensely compromised.* * * * I explained to him reasonably that I travel both within & outside India frequently and nowhere have I been asked as an amputee to remove the artificial limb and let it go into the scanner. He heard me out and informed his senior officer about ‘a lady who has an artificial leg and who is refusing to take it off’. (“*Ek lady hain. Inka artificial leg hai. Ye utarne ko mana kar rahi hain*”, his words) * * By this time, we had 10 minutes left to board our flight. I was panicked and extremely traumatized but hoped that the senior most official would acknowledge my condition. The officer arrived. I explained for the fourth time on why it was unreasonable to ask me to strip & remove the leg. He told me this was the norm, and pointed to a separate screened off area in the corner and said that the check will be done in privacy there.* * * * I tried to explain that regardless of a separate area, this was harassment, but the officer concluded that I had to submit to the rules and cooperate. After a prolonged exchange, I had my way and the officer agreed to my original suggestion of physical frisking of the artificial leg (without stripping and putting the leg through the x-ray scanner) & an ETD test. I was led to the separately screened-off area. The area was completely open from the top; there was no door that could be locked. Lady Officer No. 2 physically frisked me and did the ETD test. I was sweaty with the stress and my eyes were streaming with tears by this time. I was overwhelmed at the effort and the humiliation that I was subjected to for something that should have been an easy process & could have been dealt with sensitively.* * * * The results of the test were clean and my boarding pass was stamped. Not a word of apology or enquiry if I needed any assistance from any of the 4 CISF personnel who had put me through this. All the time that I had negotiated, reasoned and explained the situation to the security staff, other passengers calmly went about their business at security. Eyebrows were raised, but no one thought of stepping aside to ask if I needed any help. That’s India too. Why get into someone else’s *lafda*?* * * * Mom & I made it to the flight and as we settled into our seats and got our breath back, I was shaking with rage and helplessness. I vowed to do something about it to change this unreasonable process which is so ‘individual security personnel-dependent’.* * * * I underwent an amputation in 1997 as part of my treatment for Osteo Sarcoma (a form of bone cancer). I was 22 years old at the time. It took me a year to learn to cope with an altered body and master the challenges it brought along. I have successfully got back to a life where the things I continue to do, outnumber what I can’t any longer, due to a high-tech imported prosthetic limb. This prosthesis is my life line. It looks a lot like my own leg from the outside. A foam cover over the metallic portion of the limb system imitates the shape of a real leg, which allows me to dress in fitted skinny jeans without giving away that one of those legs is not the real thing.* * * * This incident of last week was a rude reminder of some of the worst experiences I have had in Indian airports. In January 2011 when I was flying out via the spanking new T3 terminal at New Delhi, I was asked for the first time to remove my artificial limb. The photocopy of my disability certificate didn’t satisfy the security persons. I was told that anyone could have got a disability certificate photocopied. The matter got quickly escalated to 3 levels, much like the incident last Friday. I was taken to an office room, accompanied by several women security personnel. I was yelling loudly by this time fighting against being asked to strip & attracted the attention of several passengers.* * * * In this room, surrounded by a bunch of women security officers all shouting me down and staring at me, I was asked to take off my jeans. I was stripped down to my panties so they could ‘see’ the artificial limb. They refused to let me fly, if I didn't comply with the “rules”.* * * * I was reduced to tears. With folded hands, I begged them to let me go as I had a genuine problem. I showed them my business card (I worked for an MNC broadcast house at the time). The lady officer in charge (I never got her name) said something along the lines of ‘*Aise nahi karte toh kaise pata chalta ki aap terrorist nahi hain’*? (If we hadn’t got you to do this, how would we know you’re not a terrorist?). In minutes from a smartly dressed, self-confident woman and professional, I had been reduced to a spectacle to be mocked at. My dignity and self respect were totally battered. I felt violated to the point where I felt I had been molested.* * * * At that time I found it difficult to bring myself to talk about this extremely humiliating and intrusive experience. It took me a couple of days to be able to share it with my mother and husband and later with a few people at work. Everyone sympathised but I didn’t have the courage to go public with it.* * * * I started flying with my heart in my mouth after this incident. I now carry the original versions of my disability documentation, no more photocopies. I changed the way I dressed when I flew. I have taken to wearing kurtas or long tunics with tights, so in a situation where I am asked to strip I won’t again be standing in my panties in front of a bunch of strangers – regardless of whether they are also women like me. Adapting to altered circumstances like these is a way of life for me.* * * * I walk without any mobility aids (crutches or walkers) and have a barely discernible limp. I am proud to appear as normal as anyone else who doesn’t have this kind of permanent limb loss and I’ve worked hard on regaining my mobility. I am also a Marketing professional who travels often, both within India and abroad.* * * * To get in & out of an above-knee artificial leg, one has to remove their trousers/lower garment and once the artificial limb is taken off, you are left in your under-pants, with your bare residual lower limb on one side and a bare complete leg on the other*. Getting back into the limb is a tedious and painful process which requires complete privacy, as one is semi-nude while pulling the stump (residual limb) into the socket of the artificial leg. A critical thing needed to don the limb is a parachute/crepe bandage and heaven help you if you aren’t carrying this with you, in your hand baggage. Without this, you would be unable to don the leg again. (*see annexure) Over the past few years with security threats looming larger than before in our country, I have faced the brunt of zealous airport security staff who while doing their job with the thoroughness one expects of them, are largely inept, insensitive and uninformed on how to deal with someone who has a physical disability and is using a prosthetic leg. Fighting to retain my dignity and resisting a strip search at such times, is termed as ‘uncooperative behaviour’ by airport security staff, who then imply that I will not be allowed to fly.* *Sometimes I come across reasonable security officers who don’t ask or insist that I strip. At other times, I face situations like this recent one. While all of this happens, I am usually racing against time since this is prior to catching a flight. But I am aware it is my duty to ensure I satisfy the security procedures hence I am always cooperative, except for literally putting my foot down when I am asked to strip.* * * * Understandably, security personnel get gobsmacked by an artificial limb. I guess most haven’t seen a sophisticated imported prosthesis. The metallic components of the limb set off the metal detector. However what a security officer actually gets to see externally is the plastic of the socket (into which the residual limb goes in) and the metal components are hidden by the foam cover (which lends shape to the leg). It is an expensive and extremely technical piece of machinery, which requires trained prosthetic technicians to assemble and dismantle.* * * * I know airport security have an extremely difficult and vital job to do. Like you, I too am happy to fly safe because of their thoroughness. I also understand some prosthesis users abuse their limbs by carrying contraband etc. But surely there can be a system in place where prosthesis users can undergo a physical search (without stripping & removing the artificial limb) and then an ETD test. * * Oddly enough, this demand for stripping and running the leg through the x-ray scanner has never been made to me on the numerous occasions that I have flown out of airports abroad. I have been asked to step aside when I have mentioned I have an artificial leg, been physically frisked (respectfully and not intrusively) and undergone an ETD scanner test. At no point has the procedure been intimidating or disrespectful. Being asked to strip, remove a prosthetic leg, run it through the x-ray scanner and then don it back again at an airport is not only inconvenient but a gross violation of a basic human right to dignity. A loss of limb shouldn’t necessarily be equal to a loss of dignity too. When we don’t expect able bodied people to remove their trousers or clothes as part of the security check, shouldn’t this apply to differently abled people too, who deserve more respect, cooperation, and sensitivity? Something changed for me on Friday 5th July 2013. I refuse to put up with being shamed and embarrassed like this every time I fly. I cannot & will not resign myself to unpredictability and humiliation every time I choose to fly. This experience has made me realise now more than ever before, that I owe it to myself & others like me, to fight to retain our dignity. * * Respect & dignity are basic human rights, whether able bodied or differently abled. I am aiming to bring together the voices of people who have faced the same indignity & trauma as I have - due to the lack of education, awareness, training & sensitivity of the personnel and agencies involved in airport security. This is a deeply personal issue and it isn't easy for me to attract attention to myself for a physical condition that I have always sought not to be defined or diminished by. However I truly want to be able to raise awareness for more people in the same situation so we are not victims of the whims, apathy, ignorance and insensitivity of inadequately or incorrectly trained airport security personnel. If there is a lack of knowledge and insensitivity on the part of security personnel, then I want to bring about a transformational change in the manner they are trained to deal with people with disability. I want to be able to ensure a standard security check for amputees is put in place at Indian airports which doesn't compromise the differently abled passenger and satisfies security norms. * * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Disability Studies India" group. 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